Phaedra Parks Talks Downside of Reality Stardom: “We’re Not Members of SAG”

You can catch Phaedra Parks on the newsstands, as well as on The Real Housewives of Atlanta this month. The sassy lawyer landed herself a cover spot with Upscale Magazine, along with fellow reality stars Tameka Raymond (Atlanta Exes) and LaTavia Robertson (R&B Divas Atlanta). Inside the mag, Phaedra discusses her gripes with the fact that, even though reality personalities are treated like celebs, they are certainly not paid like them.

In the article, Phaedra points out that, although reality TV is a lot of work — often as much as a scripted show — the stars are rarely respected in a similar vein. Namely, since they aren't members of the Screen Actors Guild, they don't make any money from replayed episodes.

“We’re not members of SAG so it’s not like we’re getting benefits from replays," Phaedra pointed out.

What's more, Phaedra isn't very happy with that arrangement, and she accuses the reality TV industry of taking advantage of the situation to make money and overlooking their shows’ stars.

"We’re talents that aren’t being considered as actors, so they're getting talent for a nominal fee. They've found a way to make money and cut the cost on studios and productions so they’re making the largest profit with the least amount of residual," Phaedra explained.

Do you think reality stars should be valued more? Share your opinions on this in the comments section below!